Portable cleansing device for artificial dentures



Aug. 28, 1951 E. A. wlLcox 2,565,899

PORTABLE CLEANSING DEVICE FOR ARTIFICIAL DENTURES Filed Maron 4, 1947Eik/765254. Wfl cor INVENTOR BY M M H15 ATTORNEY j Patented Aug. 28,1951 2,565,899 u 4. .1.. I, ,l s

v PORTABLE oLEANsmG DEVICE OR ARTIFICIAL DENrrUREs 't iErnest A .Wilcox,N.Y. ApplicationMarch 4, 1947, serial No. vaiz y5 oiainsgi (o1.'134%1'61) This invention relates to a portable cleansing device forartificial dentures.. x For cleansing purposes, itis the lusual practiceto place the artificial denture or bridge-work in a cleansing solutionand to allow the denture to remain in the solutionl until proper v,cleansing has taken place. The time consumed and .the

inconvenience of allowing the denture to remain in the solution are wellknown drawbacks to'this practice and as a. result the proper cleansingis often disregarded.

With the foregoing in mind it is the object of the present invention toprovide a portable manually operable denture cleansing device which willpermit one to firmly hold the plate or bridgework Within an enclosurecontaining a cleansing solution while manually imparting vigorousagitating-movement tothe container and ,to `the solution and to providemeans *whereby the solution is brought into intimate cleansing contactwith every part and crevice vof 1 the' denture. The movement of thesolutioninto forcible contact with the entire surface of" the denture ismost effective in keeping articial dentures properly clean and wholesomeand the Vrm hold on the denture itself while the agitating operation istaking place insures perfect safety for the plate and bridge-work.

I accomplish the object of my invention by means of a denture cleansingdevice embodying certain improved arrangements and combinations of partshereinafter described, set forth in the appended claims andillustratively exemplifled in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a substantially longitudinal sectional view of the denturecleansing device taken on line I-I of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a substantially transverse sectional view taken on line 2-2of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the cover piece looking into thesame.

Figure 4 is a View similar to that of Figure 1 of a slightly modifiedconstruction of denture cleansing device.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the container of Figure 4 with coverpiece removed and a portion of the denture support broken away, and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the base support for the adjustabledenture support.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figures 1 to 3, inclusive,I0 denotes a cup shaped container having its inner wall threaded as at II to receive an adjustable exteriorly threaded denture support I2. Thesupport I2 comprises a ring having an integral cross web I3 spanning theinterioruo'fcntainer In. The nng'llz is ad'- justable along the threadsII to accommodate the denture or bridge-work A to be cleaned.A ,Thedenture is rested upon. the support I2, as illustrated in Figure. ll'anda cover I4 placed on 'the container I0 after filling the same with theproper amountof cleansing fluid. The lcover I4 consists of adisc-shaped'top having a depending annular skirt I5whi ch -is beveledinwardly on its inner wall to forma seat I6. A cross web IvI lisdisposed integral with the top and is of a depth short of vthe lopen endof the cover.` The open end portion of the container I0 is outwardlybeveled, as at I8 to form a complementary seat for vthe cover seat I6,as illustrated in Figure 3'. When the device 1is grasped between thefingers of thefuser, the pressure thus applied will causev sealingcontact of'seats I6' andv I8, to establish a leak `proof joint betweencover` and container, whereby the liquid cleansing content will Ynotleak to,v the outside as the container is rapidly shaken by hand toperform the cleansing operation. lReferririgmow to the modifiedembodiment illustrated in Figures 4j to 6, .the`container520 islapfshaped member. with a beveled lip 2I at Yits upper end anda cover'22withibeveledde'! pending skirt 23 to form a seat with the lip 2| and aninteriorly disposed cross piece 24 to press down upon the denture A. Thedenture A is supported upon an adjustable support 25 comprising a ring,cross web 26 and depending interlorly threaded hub 21. The hub 21 isscrewed over an upstanding threaded post 28 carried upright on a disc29, which rests upon the bottom of the container'20, and which isprovided with spaced peripheral notches 30 to t over lugs 3| disposed inthe lower corners of the interior of the container to prevent rotationof the disc, as illustrated in Figure 4.

To use the denture 4cleansing device, the support I2 or 25 is adjustedto the proper elevation within its container II] or 20 to accommodatethe denture A to be cleansed. This'setting of the height of the denture`rest or support will remain fixed for the particular denture or can bealtered when more than one denture is involved. The denture A is thenplaced upon the support and the cover is applied, so as to bring thecross web I1 or 24 against the denture to rmly clamp the same betweenthe cover and support when manual pressure is applied. With the correctadjustment of the support I2v or 25 the joint between cover andcontainer is completely sealed by the manual pressure and the cleansingoperation may be started by supplying the correctV-` tively, and provideaccess to said space -for cleansing liquid within the containerto freelyflow substantially over the entire denture to effectively cleanse thedenture when theV device is vigorously shaken.

Having described my invention and the manner in which the same isoperated, whatI claim and desire vto secure by Letters Patentis;

1. A` portable cleansing device for artificial denturescomprising aVliquid container and a removable cover for said container, cooperatingmeans on said container and on said cover for providing a liquid-tightsealtherebetween, a denture supportadjustably mounted within the conytainer, 'a denture engaging means carried by the cover for firmlyholding a denture mounted on 'the denture supportV when the cover isheld on the container, the denture support being adjustable toward andaway from the open end of the container to accommodate 'dentures ofvarious thickness, the denture Support and the denture engaging meansbeing 'off an open-work character to kmake but limited contact with adenture and provide ample space, both above and below Vafflrmly helddenture, between the surfaces of the denture and the inner 'surface ofthe cover 'and the base of the container respectively, and provideaccess to saidsp'aces for cleansing liquid withinthe container to freely'pass Vover sub1 stantially the entire denture to eifectively cleansethe denture when the device is vigorously shaken.

"2. .A portable cleansing ydevice according to claiinf 1 wherein themeans on the denture Vsupport within the container and the dentureengaging means carried by the cover, between which the denture is held,are in the form of ribs on said respective members.

3. A portable cleansing device according to claim l wherein theadjustment of the denture support within the container is provided by ascrew-threaded part on the support engaging complementary screw-threadsWithin the container.

4. A portable cleansing device according to claim l wherein theadjustment of the denture support within the container is provided by anexternally screw-.threaded annular rim on the denture support engaging acomplementary internal screw-thread on the container.

5; A portable cleansing device for artificial dentures comprising acup-shaped vessel, a notched disc resting on the bottom thereof, athreaded center post carried by the disc, a denture supportY having athreaded portion to screw over 'fsaidpost rto 'adjust the elevation ofthe support in the vessel, lugs inthe vessel engagingthenotches intheYnotched disc to prevent rotation of the disc and the post when thesupport is turned to adjust its` elevation in the vessel, and a coverfor the vesselto form a leakproof seal for the vessel 'and having adepende ing web vportion to engage and hold a denture supported on thesupport.

- ERNEST A. WILCOX. Y

. REFERENCES CITED VThe following references are of record in 'theflleiof this patent: Y

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